Never Gonna Be Alone
by mstorimarie
Summary: Bella moves to Bon Temps, to live with her aunt Arlene before she starts college in Shreveport. She has tried to move past the things in her past that have hurt her, and she really can't wait to see what happens while she's living in Louisiana. Who knows what kind of twists and turns she will have to endure during her stay in Bon Temps?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, so this is my first True Blood/Twilight story. My co-author and I really hope you like it! We've worked really hard on the chapter and we just hope you'll like what we've done with it. **

**Not a lot happens in this chapter, but it's setting the back story so hopefully you'll stick with us until we get to the good parts! Thanks a lot!**

**Disclaimer: We don't own Twilight or True Blood, just what we want to happen to the characters!**

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Chapter One

Bella Swan was walking through the airport on her way to Bon Temps, Louisiana to stay with her aunt Arlene. Bella couldn't help but think about what happened over the last few months to cause her to leave Forks, and her dad. Bella had just graduated from high school two weeks ago, and she knew that it was a struggle for her to do so; however, she made it through her depression from losing her family.

Edward and his family had left a few days after her birthday, and for awhile everything was really dark in her world. During the time she was with them she began to consider them as her own family, but she never felt like she truly belonged with them. Still, that didn't make the loss any less painful.

She had blocked out everything for months, feeling empty inside, so deep in thought that she was unaware of what was happening around her; she was more surviving than living. Eventually, the threat of having to go live with her mom helped bring her out of her depression. Her father would let her have some space, but living with her mother would mean not having a moment to mourn her loss alone, her mom would not understand.

She finally realized the pain that her depression was causing to her father. She needed to be stronger, act as if nothing had happened. She owed it to her father, so she started hanging out with Jacob, getting more involved with her school work and graduated high school with amazing grades.

On the plane ride to Shreveport, which was the closest airport to Bon Temps, Bella thought about her aunt Arlene and her cousins. Arlene reminded Bella a lot of her mother, she was erratic, clueless and crazy, but with a good heart and she was just loving. Bella knew that she would be happy to spend the time with her aunt and cousins, and Arlene's boyfriend, Rene. Everything was working out really well for Bella now that she had pieced herself back together again. In Bon Temps nobody knows her, she can start from scratch. She will no longer wear a mask to pretend to be good, to pretend it does not hurt. She had decided that she was going to be tough and confident in everything that she does, she will never let anyone rule her life again, it is her life and she is the only one that matters. Bella decided she is worth more than what the Cullens' did to her, and she won't let anyone else do that to her.

Thinking about the changes that have happened in the last few months caused Bella to think about the big revelation that happened around March. Vampires had come out of the coffin, so to speak, these vampires were different from the Cullens and Bella couldn't help but be mildly afraid of these vampires considering the things she knows about the Cullens. Everyone around Forks and the rest of the world was shocked to find out vampires existed. Although the vampires like the Cullens hadn't said they existed yet, so Bella assumed they weren't going to come out to the rest of the world either. But she cannot stop thinking about it; the fact that there are vampires out there, other than those she knows is disturbing. Did the Cullens know about the existence of this other kind? If so, why did they never tell her? What are these new vampires like? Are they a threat? Are there other supernatural creatures? Since these new vampire came to light, her head was full of questions, possibilities and concerns; but mostly curiosity. Deep inside her, she knew that something was about to change, something big. But it will be good or bad?

Suddenly the fasten seat belt sign came back on, and Bella couldn't believe she had spent the whole plane ride thinking about her life in Forks, and how her new life is going to be in Bon Temps. Bella couldn't help but get the feeling that everything she wanted she would find in Louisiana.

This is a new start for Bella, and she can't wait to see the changes that happen. For the next few months she is going to be living with her aunt Arlene and taking care of the kids while Arlene is at work, at least until Bella gets a job herself. At the end of August Bella is starting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, she will be going a few days a week, but not every day. She hadn't seen her aunt Arlene for a few years so she was pretty excited about that too. It was also a good thing that in Bon Temps its sunny all the time; she had missed the sun since she moved to Forks. And now she would get to stay in the sun all she wanted to.

After collecting her luggage, Bella began looking through the crowd for her aunt. The people around seemed so different from what she was used, all tanned, smiling and with that strange accent. She was starting to feel funny, her skin pale and shy personality. She knew it would be a long way to feel at home here, but was willing to make an effort. She would not stop being herself, but she would try to be more social.

She came back to reality to capture a reddish glow from the crowd. Making her way in that direction, she soon found herself in front of her aunt Arlene.

"Oh Bella, look at you all grown up, I can't believe you're starting college in a few months!" Arlene said in greeting, too typical of her. She was actually very similar to Bella's mother even in appearance, except for her red hair. Her heart-shaped face was as pale as Bella's own skin, but that suited her light eyes.

"Hi, Aunt Arlene, it's so good to see you. Wow Coby, Lisa you've gotten so big!" Bella was really excited about seeing her family again, apart from her parents they were the only thing she had left.

"Hi Bella," Coby and Lisa said at the same time, as they hugged Bella tightly. Her little cousins were like a couple of trouble makers in a small size and she really hoped they were calmer now than the last time she had seen them.

"Bella, this is my boyfriend Rene," Arlene said then, drawing her attention to a tall dark haired man beside her.

"Hi Cher," Rene said with a Cajun accent while picking up Bella's luggage. He was handsome and seemed pretty friendly. Bella could not help but be happy that Arlene had found someone.

"Alright Bella, let's get you home," Arlene said finally moving toward the airport exit.

When Bella stepped outside she took a deep breath. The air was thick and hot; the sun was high in the sky and felt warm against her skin. She really believed that she could begin to see this place as her home. In any case, it was going to be an interesting summer.

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**Alright so like I said before we hope you love it! And please review, it'll get us to write faster!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, so I'm amazed by the response to this story already! Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites to this story! So here is the second chapter, my co-author and I hope you love this chapter too! **

**Don't forget, I can't reply to your reviews, if you have disabled your PMs. Really guys, I'm just amazed by the response! Hopefully you guys will continue reading this as we go on the journey, and we hope you love the changes to the story as we go along. **

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything just the ideas for the story! **

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Chapter Two

Bella got settled into her new home, which did not take her much time. Arlene's house was small, just three bedrooms. One of the only things that made it bearable was that Coby and Lisa shared one, so she had a room to herself. The few things that she brought with her on the flight were not all she had to unpack, since her father had shipped the rest of her belongings a few days before.

The first few days in Bon Temps were spent almost entirely at home or in Shreveport doing the paperwork necessary to get into her college classes. But Arlene would not let Bella isolate herself like that, so she decided to take matters into her own hands, to help Bella make some friends.

While Bella intended to stay at home taking care of Coby and Lisa, Arlene insisted that she already had a nanny to look after them. With no other choice, Bella was forced to accompany her aunt to work so she could meet the people of Bon Temps. She wanted to meet them, but with the experience of how it is to be new in a place and how people react, along with knowing how Arlene gossiped, she could not help but loathe the idea.

In the end it wasn't a terrible experience, but not the best either. Merlotte's was a nice place, very rustic. The decorations consisted of stone walls, wood tables and the couches were red leather. The owner, Sam, was really kind and friendly; to Bella he was like an adorable puppy.

During her time at Merlotte's, Bella met most of her aunt's coworkers. First there were the two responsible of the kitchen, Lafayette and Terry. Tara and Sam were the ones who took care of drinks and the bar. Then there were the waitresses: Sookie, Dawn and Aunt Arlene.

Tara and Lafayette were cousins, both of them speaking their mind without caring what people may think, it was refreshing. Then there was Sam and Terry, who were the loveliest men that Bella had ever met, sweet and kind. And finally Sookie, Bella did not know what to think about her. From what she had heard from her aunt and René, Sookie was not quite right in the head. She seemed pleasant enough and sweet, yet acted very strange. When her aunt introduce them, Sookie stared at her for a while with an odd face and then, out of nowhere, started to greet her warmly, smiling and saying she was 'just as cute as a button'.

Sookie also was 'dating' 'vampire Bill', the newest member of Bon Temps regardless of Bella, and was the sister of the ,supposed, cause of all the disturbances that took place recently. In the whole town, the hot topic was the death of Maudette Pickens and her supposed murderer, Jason Stackhouse. Bella, not being the type to gossip, would rather not talk about it, but her aunt Arlene had no such intentions. During every meal, the conversation was focused on that. Arlene talked of it outraged, and at the same time was trying not to mention it at all, to not scare Coby and Lisa. René, however, looked totally disinterested in it, just nodding or shaking his head for the benefit of his girlfriend. Bella could not help but have a strange feeling about the killings, as if there was something more to it. A murder in a small town and also related to vampires, did not sound good at all. She could not help the sick feeling in her gut that it wasn't over.

Considering she had nothing else to do for the day, Bella decided she might wander a bit and maybe have a look around Bon Temps to make her own first impressions, besides Merlotte's Bella had not seen much more of the town. Also, without having to take care of Coby and Lisa, she should get a job to fill her time.

Bon Temps was very picturesque. The place doesn't look anything like a town; the houses were far apart from each other as if they didn't belong in the same town, very different from Forks and Phoenix. The yards were not green, but yellow from the effects of the sun, burning all the vegetation. The houses were mostly white, with paint falling in chunks off of them. The smoke appeared to emanate from the asphalt and houses, as if they were on fire due the heat of the sun.

All of her intentions of finding a job in Bon Temps were quickly proven useless when Bella reached the 'center' of the town. There were barely a couple of shops, all looking deserted. After asking in some places, she finally realized that the only job there would be was as a waitress at Merlotte's, but that was not the type of place where Bella wanted to work.

It isn't that she didn't like it there; it was welcoming and made her feel comfortable. However, working as a waitress was not for Bella. While she was willing to change, she didn't believe that her poor balance was going to change too. Not only have that but the thought of having to endure drunks guys trying to grab her ass made her shiver. This made Bella remember the night before.

-Flashback-

Bella was sitting at Merlotte's with René and some of his friends. Arlene had dragged her to meet the people of the town and René was in charge of being her nanny. His friends were nice, or at least knew how to behave when necessary. At first she tried to be part of the conversation, but after a while she just gave up. She wasn't really interested in what they were talking about and did not feel sociable at that time.

Looking around the bar, a television caught her attention. Important news had interrupted the regular programming. "... A tragic car crash in to ... Paramedics ..." Trying to drown out the sounds of the bar, she attempted to concentrate on the news, it seemed to be important. "... Reverend Theodore Newlin, his wife, Yvette, and their 18-month-old daughter, Bethany, all pronounced dead on arrival at Baylor University Medical Center. There were a total of seven other casualties as well in the freak accident. Caused apparently by ..."

Suddenly, a sharp movement caught her eye. René had a guy in an arm lock with his face pinned to the table. Near them was Sookie, looking really angry.

"You wanna let go of the lady, don't you? Or you want me to knock you into next week?" René asked the boy, clutching his arm even more.

"Damn it, you're about to break my arm." The boy looked completely terrified, as if he was about to weep. His friends watched the scene without even daring to move a muscle to help.

"Apologize to the lady," René demanded again. Bella did not really know what had happened, but Sookie's face gave her an idea as to what did.

"Sorry," the boy finally said, sitting up and breathing quickly when René released him.

"Maybe you and your friends should find someplace else to eat, yeah." René added, moving away. When the guys got up to leave one of them gave René a parting look, making René talk back to the guy. "Do not look at me, you."

Sookie decided to interrupt then, she looked a little angry. "René, you should have let me handle that myself."

"Merlotte's is a nice place. And we all want to keep it that way. And besides, you remind me of my baby sister, cher. I hope to God that somebody will stick up for her if some asshole ever does her that way." René replied simply.

Bella had no idea that Rene had a sister. But after thinking a while, she simply assumed that Arlene forgot to tell her this or something, it's not like she had asked.

-Flashback-

Coming out of her thoughts, Bella realized that now she would have to look for a job elsewhere. Given that her father was going to send her truck, transportation wouldn't be a problem. It was better to find something soon, before Arlene tries to coax Sam into hiring her. Also, Arlene wanted Bella to go pick things out so she could decorate her room however she wanted to.

"Oh Bella, hi darlin, what are you doin here?" Bella heard Arlene call to her. Bella hadn't realized since she started walking that she had made her way to Merlotte's. Since she was there already, she decided to see if she could take René's truck and go get the stuff for her room, and if she was lucky a job.

"Hi Aunt Arlene, I was wondering if René was here so that I could go to Shreveport to get stuff for my room." Bella quickly replied. She didn't like asking for favors, it was enough that her aunt let her live with them; but until she had her own truck she had no choice.

"Sure, René!" Arlene called out, while they walked over to the table where René and Hoyt were sitting and eating their lunch. "Do you mind if Bella takes your truck to Shreveport, so that she can get things for her room?"

"Of course not cher, just be careful on your way up there." René told Bella.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I just need to take the Parish road and the shops are around there, right?" Bella didn't want to get lost; she wanted to make sure that everything ran smoothly while she was in Shreveport, not needing to get in trouble so soon.

"Yeah, but if you need anything just call us." Arlene told Bella. "Also make sure you're back by, let's say, 2 am? Is that a good curfew?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. I should be back way before then, but I'll let you know." Bella replied, while hugging Arlene and saying goodbye to René and Hoyt.

René decided to follow Bella out to his truck and make sure everything was ok with her before she left. "Are you sure you'll be able to get there ok, cher?" He asked in a concerned voice, he knew Arlene loved Bella so he wanted to make sure nothing would happen to her while she was in Shreveport.

"Sure, I'll be fine René, thanks for caring though." Bella replied, smiling. René nodded, and opened the door so Bella could get into the truck.

"Remember, if you need anything just let us know and we'll help you any way we can." René told her, as she started the truck up, nodded and pulled away. As she was driving away, she looked back at him, to see him turning and walking back into Merlotte's.

Heading down the Parish road, Bella couldn't help but think about the things that she wanted to get, she needed new bedding, a lamp, a trashcan, and a few other items, that wouldn't take too long to buy. She also wanted to find a good bookstore to see if she could find any new books to read since she always read the same ones over and over again. After about a half an hour she finally made it into Shreveport, and after another ten minutes she found Macy's, parked the truck, and walked into the store.

Bella found bedding in a red and black swirly design after a half hour of looking around, so she decided to get that. She also decided to get a light blanket; she was in Louisiana and it got really hot at all hours of the day, but she could use it at night if it got cool. After looking around for another half hour she found a red and black swirly lamp, a trashcan, and curtains, so she decided to get those also. She got a few pillows too; regular pillows, a body pillow, and a few throw pillows that she could lean on and decorate her bed with.

Bella left Macy's with a sense of pride filling her; she managed to find everything she needed to decorate her room, within an hour, so she was pretty excited about that. Bella's stomach decided to make itself known at that point in time, she realized that it was close to 7:00 at night and she hadn't eaten anything since noon, so she decided to get something to eat. Not too far away she found a little café, surrounded by a few quaint little shops. Bella parked the truck and walked into the café; looking at the menu, she finally ordered a coke and a ceaser salad with a turkey wrap.

When Bella got her food, she couldn't believe how good it was. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she looked down to see her food was gone. Bella got up and threw her trash away. By the time she was done eating it was around 8:00. As she was walking out of the café, Bella decided to go look in the shops around it.

The first few shops she looked in were souvenir shops, and Bella wasn't very interested in those. However, around 30 minutes later she walked into a bookstore and immediately didn't want to leave. The bookstore was tiny, but Bella could tell it had so many different kinds of books that she would never get bored of looking through it.

The old lady at the counter said hello to Bella, and told her to take her time looking around because she wasn't closing the shop till 12:00. Bella noticed that there was a coffee shop attached to the bookstore that the old lady was running as well. She got the feeling that there was something odd about the bookstore; she just didn't know what was so odd about it.

Bella looked around the bookstore and before she knew it, it was already 11:30 and Bella knew she needed to gather the books she wanted and go pay for them, so the lady could start closing up the shop. As Bella got to the counter she noticed the woman was all alone, which made Bella curious about whether the lady needed help running the shop or not.

"Excuse me ma'am," Bella said to the woman.

"Yes, sweetheart?" The old woman replied, smiling at Bella.

"I was wondering if you needed any help around here, it seems like you don't have any help, and I'm sure this job can be tiresome, would you be hiring right now?" Bella tried not to sound desperate, since she really didn't want to push the woman, but Bella really liked the place, so she wanted a job here.

The lady stared at her closely as if searching for something inside Bella. The look was somewhat disturbing, but Bella didn't feel bad about it. "Actually, I am looking for some help, if you are interested in a job here?" She asked Bella, smiling like she knew something that Bella didn't know.

"Yes!" Bella accidently screamed, and then laughed at herself, along with the woman. "Yes, I am looking for a job. I can work anytime; the only problem is that I live in Bon Temps. I would have to know how long it took to get here from there so I can make it on time. Also, I just moved a few days ago; so my car is being shipped but I could start in a few days, if that would be alright?" Bella wanted to make sure she wasn't overstepping her boundaries.

"Of course that would be alright. We can work out the schedule later, give me your number and I'll give you a call to tell you when to come in. Just call and let me know when your truck arrives, first. Also once you get off the Parish road it takes around ten minutes to get here." While they were talking the old lady, whose name was Cheryl, started to ring up Bella's books, "Alright dear, your total is $41.53." Bella handed over $45.00, got her change, gave Cheryl her number and waved at her as she walked out.

When Bella looked at her watch she realized that she and Cheryl had talked for over an hour, as it was now 12:30. Bella knew she needed to get back to the truck and start on her trip back to Bon Temps. Bella got to René's truck; put her bags from the bookstore in it, climbed in and started the truck. Before she left, she checked the gas level of the truck and realized she had three fourths of a tank, which would get her back to Bon Temps perfectly. It took her about 20 minutes to figure out how to get back to the main stretch of Shreveport.

Bella passed by, what she thought looked like, some kind of club with all sorts of people going inside. The people waiting for the club were dressed strangely, she decided. About five minutes after she passed the club, the truck started smoking so Bella pulled off to the side of the road. She grabbed her purse off the seat beside her to get her cell.

"Dammit!" Bella yelled, realizing she left her phone back at Arlene's house. She didn't want to sit in the truck hoping someone would come along and help her, the road looked pretty deserted. With no other choice she decided to walk back to the club she saw, it wasn't that far away and maybe she could use the phone there to call Arlene and tell her what was going on.

Bella grabbed her purse and keys, and made sure the door was locked before she started walking in the direction of the club. After about twenty minutes of walking, or should she say stumbling, she finally reached the doors of the club.

"ID, please?" A woman said looking utterly bored. The woman kind of intimidated her, not that Bella was going to show that. Bella handed her ID over to the bouncer. "Isabella Swan, Forks Washington, 18 years old? Hmm, aren't you a beauty," the woman said, looking at Bella as if she were some type of delicacy. "My name is Pam."

"Umm thanks? And it's just Bella," she didn't know what to think of this woman, she also didn't know why she felt the need to tell this woman her preferred name. "Is there a phone I can use here? My truck broke down about five minutes down the road and I forgot my cell at home."

The woman flashed her fangs at Bella, "Of course there is. Here is your bracelet so that you can go in, just don't try and drink any alcohol, do you hear me?" The woman said, sounding intimidating, Bella knew she would obey the woman.

"Yeah, no problem, I just want to use the phone so I can get home."

"Well then, by all means go on in." The female vampire said to Bella, as she held the rope open. "Oh and Bella, Welcome to Fangtasia, the bar with a bite." With that Bella turned and walked into Fangtasia, as Pam let out a laugh.

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**Remember to Review! Thank you! Also does anyone know how to make banners, because we could use one! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, so I know the last chapter was left on cliff hanger and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm actually going out of town, like I'll be in a valley in West Virginia and I won't have any internet, so needless to say we won't be able to update, hopefully my co-author and I can discuss and start the chapter. I'm leaving later on today, Sunday, and coming back sometime Saturday afternoon. So hopefully we'll be able to update like next Sunday or Monday. **

**Anyway I REALLY hope you guys like this chapter! And that it lives up to you expectations! **

**And to my fellow Americans, Happy early 4th of July! I hope you guys go and watch fireworks and spend the day with your family, celebrating the birth of our great nation! Don't forget those who gave their lives for us to have our 4ht of July! **

**Anyway now that I've gone all sappy, I hope you guys love this! **

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything just the idea for it! **

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Chapter Three

The first thing Bella noticed as she entered Fangtasia were the red walls and the black decorations lining them. The walls were covered with posters and strange pictures about vampires. The bar was not how she had imagined; she liked the interior of the club and thought it looked nice. Fangtasia itself wasn't frightening at all, but knowing that this club was specifically for vampires was kind of frightening for her. Even though she was alright with vampires as she had proven that in the past, she couldn't help but be apprehensive.

Dotted around the dance floor were small stages with vampires and humans dancing on them. On the dance floor itself there was a large amount of humans mingling with the vampires, they were all dressed in leather, perhaps more naked than dressed. Bella believed they were called "fangbangers", people who offered themselves to vampires for the thrill or just morbid curiosity.

She never wanted to be labeled as a fangbanger, but she knew that she could be labeled as one, since she had a relationship with a vampire. But it was nothing like that; Bella loved Edward and would have loved him even if he had been human. She wouldn't be fooled that way ever again, she wasn't about to fall madly in love with anyone, human or vampire.

Bella continued looking around, fascinated by all that she was seeing, when suddenly her eyes were drawn to a stage that sat above everything else. In a throne sat a man, he was well built, wearing black leather pants and a t-shirt. He sat looking bored, as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. She didn't know what he had done to deserve to sit in that throne, but it suited him. The man seemed to radiate raw power, and she was a little intimidated by him.

As Bella was staring at the man, she saw Pam walk up the steps on the stage, and lean down to whisper something in the man's ear. He automatically looked over at Bella, and Bella didn't know how she felt about that. It made her weary about whether she should have come in here or not, this was beginning to seem like a very bad idea. She really needed to use the phone and since she was already here she would use it and then walk back to the truck, so she would be safe.

Bella realized that she had been standing in the middle of the club for some time now. Looking at the ground she began to move feeling embarrassed, she needed to hurry and find someone who worked here so she could see about using the phone. Bella decided to go up to the bar and ask the bartender, he surely would tell her who she could ask, or he might even let her use it himself. She made her way through the crowd of people and got to the bar, where she patiently waited for the bartender to notice her.

A few minutes later she got her wish, "What can I get for you?" He asked in a deep voice that Bella thought had some sort of accent that she hadn't heard before. He had long hair and tattooed skin, his fangs were out. He took a long breath and then looked up and down Bella, as if he was evaluating her. He was really creepy.

"Yeah, hi, my car broke down a few minutes down the road and I need to call my aunt so she can come get me. Do you have a phone that I can use?" Bella tried to sound as confident as she could, but she wasn't sure if she succeeded or not. She was sure her voice had stuttered a bit, but the bartender made her feel uncomfortable, almost sick. She wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible.

When Bella asked her question the bartender looked at her like he was trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not, he looked away from her towards the stage, where the man was still staring at her. After what seemed like a silent exchange, the barman nodded his head.

"Whether or not you can use the phone is up to the owner," Longshadow replied back to Bella in a harsh tone. Bella wasn't happy about this turn of events, but she knew she had to deal with it.

"Ok then. Where is he, so that I can ask him?" She really needed to hurry and use the phone. It had been a long day and all she wanted was to get home and go to sleep. Everything in that bar was starting to bother her a lot, all she needed was to make the call and then she could leave.

"He's up there," Longshadow pointed, making Bella turn to look at the stage. There was Pam and the mysterious vampire, both staring at her. The man slowly raised two fingers and waved her up there. Bella was confused, but walked through the crowd in order to get to the stage.

When she finally made it to the stage, she stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the man sitting in the throne. Beside him, Pam nodded at her to walk up the rest of the way. Bella walked up the stairs and just stood there staring at him. Although she didn't know what to do, she was determined to not give any impression of being weak.

"Bella Swan, Forks, Washington, 18 years old, how can I help you? You seem to be in my club for a reason." The man said to Bella.

"Umm, how do you know my name?" Bella asked, hesitantly. Bella knew that he could have easily known her name and where she was from, but knowing that she preferred Bella scared her. Even so, she kept her face expressionless.

"I never forget a pretty face, you're in my vault." Pam told her, smirking and pointing at her head. At Pam's words Bella let out a slight laugh at her. With all the stress with the club and the strange bartender, she had forgotten the conversation with Pam.

"Good to know." She told Pam with a mischievous smile and then returned her attention to Eric. "And to answer your other question, yeah I am in here for a reason. My car broke down a few minutes down the road and I really need to get home, so I was wondering if I could use the phone."

"I'm not sure I should let any stranger use my phone, how do I know if you are telling the truth?" Eric replied with a smug smile. Bella knew he was trying to tease her.

She really didn't know what to think of him. When she first saw him, he looked incredibly bored, and now he was having fun at her expense. She was really pissed; she was the source of fun for a group of vampires once and she refused to go back there.

Stretching to her full height, she glared at him and tried to speak with as much venom in her voice as possible. "Of course, it is dangerous to leave suspicious teenagers near a phone, who knows what might happen. Now if you'll excuse me, I think my business here is over." That being said that, she turned to leave. She would look for another place to call.

But she wasn't able to take any step towards the exit, since in the moment she turned the man was in front of her. Frightened, Bella took a couple of steps backwards, nearly hitting one of the seats that were next to the throne.

"There is no need to leave so hastily, I'd be more than glad to let you use the phone." He said staring. His expression was completely neutral, but in his eyes one could glimpse a hint of emotion. "If you'll follow me I have a phone in my office that you can use."

Watching him carefully, Bella evaluated her options. It was getting closer and closer to 2, and she needed to let Arlene know where she was, but she didn't know if she should trust this man.

Deciding to follow her instincts, she nodded her head slowly. He was dangerous and didn't try to hide it, but Bella didn't think that he was going to hurt her. "Can I at least know your name before I walk in your office, since you know mine already," Bella didn't want to be a pain, but she didn't know him and she was curious.

"My name is Eric, Eric Northman and I am Sheriff of the area," Eric exposed his fangs to Bella, with a smirk on his face. "Can we go to my office now?"

Bella nodded her head again and followed Eric down the stairs. As Eric led Bella into his office, Bella couldn't help but notice how tall and muscular he was. She kept admiring him, as she walked with him through the crowd and into his office. When they reached his office, Eric allowed her through the door first, and then closed it behind him.

Eric couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. He also couldn't help but notice she didn't smell exactly human, not that he was going to bring that up to her. She had shocked him with her answer at the bar. She looked shy and quiet on the outside, but he could tell that underneath it, there was a passionate woman.

He wanted to get to know her and figure out what she was, and then talk to her about it. Wait, did he just say he wanted to get to know her? Sure he lusted after her, but wanting to get to know her, he wasn't so sure about. Then again, who knows she may be someone he could trust.

"So, where is this phone that I can use? Because it's 1:55, and I'm supposed to be home in 5 minutes." Bella was starting to freak out, she didn't know how her aunt would take it, that she was out past curfew and didn't call.

"The phone is right here, call whoever you need to," Eric didn't know why he said this so kindly, usually he had quite the temper, yet with her, he seemed to want to be calm.

Bella walked quickly over to the desk, surprised that she didn't trip or fall on her way over to it. She quickly dialed the number for her aunt's house, praying to Arlene to answer the phone.

"Hello?" She heard her aunt ask in a slightly panicked voice. Bella began to feel guilty for worrying her aunt like that. The car breaking down wasn't her fault, but she should have remembered taking her cell before she left home.

"Aunt Arlene? It's Bella, I'm so sorry I'm not there yet, I forgot my phone at your house, and Rene's truck broke down, and I just found a phone and I'm still in Shreveport. I'm so sorry." Bella silently pleaded with her aunt to be understanding because she couldn't help what happened to her.

"Alright, alright, where are you? I'll have Rene borrow Jason's car and come get you. Settle down, you aren't in trouble." Bella could feel the relief in Arlene's voice.

"Ok, I'm at a club called Fangtasia, it was the closest place to where the truck broke down, but I don't think I should leave because who knows what will happen to me on the walk back to the car." Now that Bella had met Eric, he didn't seem quite so intimidating now that she had actually talked to him. Sure at the beginning he acted like an asshole, but she was sure that was just a mask.

"Alright Bella, I'll send Rene up there now, he'll be there in 45 minutes, don't get into any trouble." With that Arlene hung up, and told Rene to call Jason and go get Bella immediately. Rene called Jason then tried to rush to Bella as quickly as he could.

When Bella hung up the phone, Eric decided it was a good time to begin to unravel the mysteries of Bella Swan. "So Miss Swan, your license says you are from Washington. What brings you to Louisiana?" Eric was trying to flirt with her, without being so obvious about it. He was curious, why this beautiful girl would be in Louisiana, not that he was complaining about that fact at all.

"Well my aunt and cousins live here, I'm also going to be starting college in August at UL Shreveport." Bella was trying to not blush. Now that she's seen Eric in the light of his office, she thought he was absolutely gorgeous and that he had the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen. "So you said you were the sheriff of the area? What exactly is the area, and why does it need a sheriff?" Bella was curious about what he did exactly.

"I'm the sheriff of area five, it is almost the whole upper half of Louisiana, and I'm basically the leader of the vampires in the area. They have to check in with me before they move here, and things of that nature, I basically just take care of the vampires around here." Eric didn't understand why he was giving this woman so much information. "So do you live in Shreveport?" He said, trying to get the conversation back on her.

"No, I live in Bon Temps. But today I just found a job here in Shreveport." She said, recalling the events of that night. "There is a very nice old lady who owns a bookstore here and when I asked if she needed help, she hired me immediately." Bella finished with a smile on her face.

"You seem very excited about actually doing it, why?" Eric liked that smile. If it were up to him, she would always be smiling like that. Eric wasn't used to feeling like this with women, or anyone for that matter. He had not cared about anyone except Pam and his maker his entire vampiric life. So falling for this girl, who he had only known for around an hour, really confused him. All he knew was that he didn't just want to sleep with her, which he really wanted to do, he also wanted to get to know her as a person.

Bella began talking about her love for reading, commenting about some books. She really was amazed by Eric's knowledge about literature, but it wasn't surprising, who knows how many years he was alive.

After some time, Bella realized that she really liked Eric. He could be sweet and kind, but at the same time he could be intimidating and scary to anyone who pissed him off. She figured that had to do with how he was in his human life. She also knew that she really wanted to see him again; she could only hope that he felt the same way about her.

Eric was starting to like Bella as well. She was beautiful, smart and kind. He could also tell she was trying to be more confident then she really was, but hopefully she would grow more confident in the future. He felt she had every reason to be confident, except for believing in herself.

Realizing that it was already late, Bella knew she needed to go outside to see if Rene was there, but she really didn't want to leave the company of Eric. She felt safe with him, and knew that if anything were to happen she could count on him to protect her.

"Ok Eric, I think I should go see if Rene is here yet, I don't want him to have to wait for me. I've already caused them enough problems tonight." Bella was really disappointed the time that they spent together tonight passed by so quickly, and she really didn't want it to end.

With that Eric and Bella got up from the couch they were sitting on, as Eric opened the door and allowed Bella through first. 'Ah a true gentleman', Bella thought as Eric closed the door behind them. Eric then led Bella through the club as people cleared a path for him. Bella could tell that a lot of people had respect for him, and if it wasn't respect, it sure was fear.

She could tell he scared a lot of people and she was sure they had a good reason to be afraid of him, but she just couldn't be. She, especially, couldn't be afraid of him since she had talked to him for almost an hour, and he had been nothing but kind to her, well except for the first few minutes, where he was trying to intimidate her. After that though, he was kind to her, and she really liked that.

When they reached the door of Fangtasia, Eric again opened the door for Bella. When Bella walked out the first thing she saw was Rene leaning up against a truck. She figured this was one of his friend's trucks. As she started to walk over to Rene, she felt Eric gently grab her arm. They were really close to Rene, but she could tell he wanted to ask her something.

"Bella, I was wondering if you would be willing to go on a date with me, sometime soon." Eric asked, he didn't want to push, but he really wanted to go on a date with her. He didn't know if she would be willing to go on a date with him, but it was worth a try.

Bella was extremely happy that he had asked her out, she was hoping he would. Yet, she wasn't willing to give up so fast. She would go on a date with him, but without any illusions. She already had her heart broken once; she would not let that happen again.

"Yes, of course. I would love to go out with you, Eric. When?"

"Well it's Tuesday now, so how about Friday night? How does that sound?" He was so glad that she had accepted his offer. He wanted to take her out sooner, but he didn't know if she would go out with him the next night, so he went with Friday.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect," Bella was kind of disappointed because she wanted to see him sooner, but she could live with Friday. "How about I give you my number, and we can set up the plans."

"That sounds truly perfect Bella." Eric was happy; she was willingly giving him her number. The emotions he felt over one hour of talking with Bella was more than all he'd felt the last two decades.

"Ok my number is 360-555-6320." Bella was glad he wanted her number. They smiled at each other, as they were both so excited for their date on Friday night.

However, there was someone else listening to their conversation, who was not so happy with how this night had turned out. Rene stood there, and listened to the filthy bloodsucker, asking out his future niece. Rene couldn't believe this was happening, how could Bella willingly go on a date with that thing? Rene was sure the vampire had glamoured her into going out with him. He would give Bella her date on Friday, but after that hopefully she would not spend any more time with the vampire.

Bella smiled once more at Eric, as she turned back towards Rene, and walked to the car. "I'm so sorry Rene, I don't know what happened, the car started smoking, and I didn't know what to do." Bella didn't want to be in trouble with Rene about his truck.

"It's alright, cher, as long as you aren't hurt, it's fine. Let's go see if it'll work now, and if it won't, I'll call and have a tow truck come and get it tomorrow. Now let's go, and see where it is." Rene was trying so hard to not show that he was agitated with her, but he couldn't stand the fact that she was going on a date with the vampire.

As they were about to pull out of the parking lot, Bella turned and saw Eric staring at the truck with a smile on his face. As he lifted his head, he saw Bella staring at him; he smiled at her one last time, and then turned and walked back into Fangtasia. Bella knew she needed to concentrate, in order to tell Rene where the truck was, she just couldn't help but to think about Eric, and what they would do on their date on Friday night.

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**Like I said up top, if you didn't read it please go do that! We won't be able to update till next Sunday or Monday at least. But we would love to hear from you guys in a review! Thank you so much for the support! **


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